I put all the ingredients in the Vitamix in the order listed and blended on high for 5-6 minutes. It was piping hot and ready to eat! I sprinkled about 1/2 tsp. of chia seeds on my serving. Delicious and oh so healthy!!

January 10, 2011

Americans now eat about 50% of their food prepared outside of the home - whether that be eating out or buying food that is packaged. Clearly we are looking for food that is easy, convenient, and time-saving. The problem with eating this percentage of food prepared by others is that we have very little control about the quantity and quality of the ingredients. We end up eating food that is high in fat, sodium, and calories and low in fiber and nutrients.

The solution is to prepare more of our foods in our own kitchens. There are many recipes that meet the criteria we are all looking for - ease, convenience, and quick. Below is a favorite of mine that also happens to be high in fiber and nutrients. This recipe works well for breakfast, as in a breakfast burrito, lunch, or dinner. Vary it up by making it into burritos, quesadillas, omelettes, or salad bowls.

Saute the peppers, onions, and garlic in a skillet with a bit of water, which eliminates the need for added fat, until vegetables are slightly soft. Add rice, salsa, beans, and parsley. Mix well. Store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Use in any of the suggestions above. As an option, add cooked chicken, shrimp, and/or avocado.

Mix tomatoes, cumin and oregano and set aside for flavors to blend. Set aside.

In a deep saute skillet, heat the skillet and add the olive oil. Saute the onions, garlic and jalapeno pepper until softened. Add the chicken, corn, and beans and heat through. Add enough of the reserved tomatoes to moisten (about a cup or so). Pour half of the remaining tomatoes in the bottom of a glass baking dish.

Lay out wraps and divide the chicken mixture evenly among the 6 wraps. Roll up and place seam-side-down in the baking dish. Pour remaining tomatoes over the top. Bake for 20 minutes.

Delicious served with a crispy Romaine salad with diced avocado and tomatoes.

October 05, 2006

I recently started a new job and don't get home before 6:30-7:00pm. It is so easy to pop in a frozen dinner or stop by a fast food joint and pick up really bad for you food. Do you have a simple solution to making good for you meals ahead of time for the week that so that I don't go down the "bad" path of least resistance? P.B.

Dear P.B.,

This is the most common challenge I hear - 'I know what to do but I don't have time to do it.' The solution is to keep it simple. One way to do that is to prepare one-dish meals. Of course, some pre-planning is involved as well as a properly stocked pantry. Here's an example of a recent meal I prepared when I had no time:

String beans left over from a double batch prepared for Sunday's Dinner

Sliced tomatoes, black olives, sliced cucumbers, and shredded carrots left over from a double batch prepared for Sunday Dinner's salad. NOTE: When I prepare salad ingredients, instead of putting them over the lettuce, I arrange them in a divided dish and let each person select their toppings. I always cut up extra for leftovers and store them in the divided dish.

To create a meal, I cooked whole wheat organic spaghetti and tossed it lightly with the same dressing I had used the day before as a marinade. I piled it in a nice pasta bowl and topped it with the above toppings. No further dressing was required.

It also made for a healthy lunch the next day and basically, all I had to do was cook the pasta!

The Family Food Coach welcomes your questions. Please send an email with Ask the Coach in the Subject line. Due to volume, all questions may not be published or answered.

Here's another recommended recipe from one of my favorite food magazines, Eating Well. They call it Chilaquiles Casserole and it is in the June/July 2006 issue. They feature it as a recipe that kids can assist with the preparation - we like that idea! I've made it a few times and everyone loves it. It would be a great dish for a buffet or party since it can be prepared in advance and feeds many. It is a vegetarian dish but shredded chicken would be a nice addition too (although I haven't tried it).

A few notes - I used organic beans, whole wheat tortillas, and diced tomatoes. Also, I didn't drain the tomatoes. It was slightly spicy using El Rio Mild Enchilada Sauce (I used a 15 oz. can one time and another time, I used two 10 oz. cans). The additional liquid didn't seem to make a difference.) I did crisp the tortillas in a skillet and then sliced them into 1" slices vs. quartering them since it seemed to fit better in the dish.

I served it with a Tomato Avocado salad which was a nice creamy, cool, crisp complement to the dish's spicyness.

Earth Greens

Earth GreensPlease call 602-595-7560 or order online at www.essanteworldwide.com/ordergreens to order Essante's Earth Greens and Supreme pH drops or you may email or call me to place an order and for further information. Also, be sure to read the accompanying article on this blog, Drink Your Vegetables for more information on this product.

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Eating Well Magazine's WebsiteA great website for healthy recipes, nutritional information, and helpful tools, including calorie counters, nutritional analysis tools, and a soon-to-be weight tracker.
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